Mr. Connolly — (your title)

Mr. Robt. Russell
[address deleted]
[address deleted]

wrote & I got it the same day yours came. He wanted to know my birthday also. Does that mean anything to you?

It meant to me that I had to write another letter that couldn’t get too real or it would be misunderstood.
I can’t help you with your school report. Earth cries and you want my birthdate. If the report had something to do with survival when the money reality falls, you wouldn’t know what to write because the money mom holds the leash & the reigns—mom earth is under her trampling discontent—Look at the Big Bitch selling pieces of Air, Land, Water & her children’s asses

And you people look down at me.

When you are gasping for air we’ll see who is hysterical.

I’m not fighting for a cause. I’m fighting for my life, trapped by my own knowing. (The soul is it’s own reward). But you sit back and enjoy your T.V. life a little longer.

Don’t let your personality fool you into being offended. Personalities & words are just clothes. I really don’t play that birthday game.

Red
L. Fromme

A note on this letter.  This letter, originally handwritten, covered two pages, the second of which appeared in Nikolas Schreck’s excellent book, The Manson File, published by Amok in 1989. To see the second page as it was reproduced by Schreck, 

2/12

     5 pages enclosed expressing current feelings & statements ranging from 1970— recently. The final 2 pages I wrote as frontispiece to a story a magazine wanted to use. We decided later against allowing them to make money off of us. The book was a large paperback w/ contributions from numerous writers. Manson said that he might have given me some encouragement on that project, but I think that what the publishers did put in the book was far better than the story I had written. (They reprinted in the book part of a magazine article about him that was good).

I’m wondering about sending all material I have, if I do decide to contribute, to Boyd since he’s to be the editor of the proposed book. I’ve sent him copies of these 5 pages. He can make copies, tho his $ is scarce.

I sent you a letter of mine and one of CM recently. You should have it by now. Please copy his letter for me. I liked it & I wanted to re-read it, however I’d kept it for long enough & thought I best mail it.

Thanks for the ph. # & letter etc duplicates to send on. I dreamt of taking out “The Crawl” about the 70 mile Sunset Blvd. experience 5 of us had crawling to the Hall of Justice where Manson was held in L.A. It ends with us being snubbed by the press after 7 full days on our hands & knees (& numerous experiences behind us that I only can allude to in a frightened story). (I’m not a writer but I can play thoughts—yet it’s not enough to meet my own standards). Still I’ll see what it looks like. Oh! I started to say —it ends with us sitting on the sidewalk, wrapping out bruised, scabbing bloody knees & cleaning our grubby hands w/ alcohol just as the sun is getting hot & the prosecutor in his 3pc. tweed suit meets us on his way to work. Always dapper & snappy he greets us as if meeting us for a luncheon recipe.

“Hi girls,” he says (and w/o flinching) “what’re you doing?” Brenda looked up & told him we were trying to wake a few people up.

“You’ll never do it that way” he said, shaking his head. “You’ll have to put a bomb at their feet.” And with that he was off, said he’d be late—to the prosecution of our friends for mass murder, & though his may sound like the wisest words, being as we thought 9 dead bodies would be enough, I recall vividly the bitter irony through the smoggy sunlight & our weariness and I’m surprised we’ve lasted this long in the pursuit of peaceful change except for our unwillingness to run amok. It wasn’t suicide we wanted but the burial of dead systems of thought.

Red

P.S.
As for “Manson’s right wing revolutionary cause”, I believe that if Manson had wings he’d have at least two of them and a substantial body of his soul self in the center.

1/10/83

     Your letter—short as it is—touched on a lot of subjects & inspires a lot of comeback.
I’m sending an article about the punk rock movement—if it can be called a movement. Check how the Jews got in to turn it.
Manson is versatile & can deal with & move a lot of different thoughts to a balance for natural order.
Also a photo of Blue & a visitor (Rick) You know him?
—And a couple of articles
We’d like to read The Lightening & The Sun—Can receive books anytime w/o prior approval—should be sent from any type of book store or established seller or religious place.
Blue asks if you wrote “Good Riddance, John Lennon” for the Liberty Bell & if George Dietz is the friend you mentioned who prints his own material, books.
Also if you know any of the fellas in the Odinist bike club.

Will write more—

Red

Oh yes—send pictures of yourself if you will & we would appreciate seeing photos of your paintings—We always have been interested in art

Statement for the Record

To the matter of defense:

The court has stated repeatedly that the case is to be tried based on the facts in evidence; that the defendant will not be permitted to make any political statements, nor to use the court room as a forum for talking about such “ecology” issues as endangered redwood trees, nuclear power plants, polluted air and water.

I have talked late into the nights with my client (me), affirming my original position in defense. I have taken into consideration the court’s warnings—and most importantly, the reasons behind these warnings, and I wish at this time to let response to the earlier warnings of the court be known.

* Let the record reflect

*      that this defendant is not charged with the murder of the President; that the charge is “attempted assassination”,

*      that it is this defendant’s understanding that the U.S. Attorney must prove beyond doubt that the defendant intended “knowingly and wilfully” to murder the President,

*      that intent is very clearly a state of mind; that intent is a THOUGHT before and during an ACTION; that the inquiry of such may well open the defendant’s mind for scrutiny; and that the defendant’s state of mind may be directly concerned with such social matters as the court has deemed unfit for court consumption.

Circa 4 Nov., 1975

In order of due process

I am sincere in telling the court that I have only one chance for the defense of myself, the man and the country. I am telling the court that the problems of the country left for the young people to solve are directly concerning my intent on September 5, 1975. I am telling the court that nobody will really know what my intent was unless I testify, unless I give witness to my state of mind. Circumstantial evidence is not a live witness. I want the court to notice that the condition of the United States is most clearly related to Mr Ford the President and to my intent and that to refuse to allow me to present my intent, is to leave me without defense and therefore condemned. The defense has the right to put on the witnesses that will exculpate the defendant-ie take away the guilt. Denial of this right makes “fair trial” just two words.
I am co-counsel and as co-counsel I have the right to represent myself, speak for myself and conduct myself and my trial by myself in my best interests in order of due process.
I fire John Virga as part of my defense. Manson is the only one that can speak for me.
You will not by law, run this trial without me just because the attorney thinks its a good idea. You do note that I am one half of this defense and have already put in my record a clause about moving without my permission which would automatically sever my co-counsel.
I cannot be tried without me. I will not watch your T.V. behind the court room until you put my defense on it. (Manson and all the family). The Red robe belongs to that family. I can go to trial or wear this robe only with their permission. They did not get a defense. Nixson claimed them guilty “directly or indirectly” They did not have a voice in the court room.
I came here to make you aware of that, and to put my life up in their will as it once was. I want to go wherever they go. I cant possibly speak for them as they have layed six years under the worlds guilt and judgements for Nixson’s “Guilty, directly or indirectly.” They have spent years in solitude and have been shown no care of concern by the very communities that raised them. Soon the television will try to sell you the death that you fostered- everyone of you whose will it is to let the world and your air, waters, lands and wildlife die. I dont have the answers. Manson is the only chance to live I have.

**********************

In order of due process
I am co-counsel and as co-counsel I have the right to represent myself, speak for myself and conduct myself and my trial by myself in my best interests and the interests of my family. (What they want me to do, I’ll do.) The red robe is their sacrifice. I cannot wear it without their permission. I cannot go to trial as they were not given a fair trial. I came here to plead for the lives of my family, my children and the earth- my plea was innocent.